I guess you will worry about this. Someone asked for an example. I wrote this off the top of my head in about half an hour. It is not elegant, but it will serve as an example.
You would use the information on your plan to discuss what you wanted to achieve and whether your plan worked well or not. Basically, you would tell us about all of the Unit Template elements.
Here it is, but remember to focus on the readings first.
Example of Lesson Plan
Name -- your name
Unit Title: The Earliest Settlers
Overall Question: What motivates mass movements of people from one area to another, and what are the effects of such movements?
Content Area/Grade Level: History/ 4th Grade
Text/Resources Used American History for the Youngest Learners/Maps and illustrations of Beringea from the Internet/Art Illustrations from the areas they eventually settled in
Goals and Objectives: Understands the causes and nature of movements of large groups of people into and within the United States, now and long ago (You may want to refer to your state standards here)
Literacy Skills Required: Activation of Prior Knowledge, Predicting, Story Map
Identify the Reading Strategies to be used in this lesson: Language-based and visual cues for figuring out new words; Chronological sequencing; Think-Aloud based on text characteristics (cause/effect)
Goals: Understands the causes and nature of movements of large groups of people into and within the United States, now and long ago (You may want to refer to your state standards here) Objectives: The children will produce a story map that reflects the main events in the story. The children will utilize the Think-Aloud with a short, simple passage.
Lesson Procedure:
Introduction: Prior Knowledge – What makes people look different from each other? Do you know anyone who has recently moved here? Do you know why they moved? Has your family moved from another city? How did you feel when you first got here? What things changed for you because of your move?
Main Activity: Think-Aloud
The students will listen and follow along in their textbook as I read the beginning passage to them. I will stop periodically and model using cues for comprehension, i.e., map showing Beringea (the land bridge) a visual. I will think aloud that since there was plenty of game on the land bridge, people would be enticed into entering and crossing it as they chased the game for food, etc. Then we will discuss any of the vocabulary that is difficult to either sound out or pronounce. The children will read the passage to each other and help each other as they do so.
Ending Activity: We will map the sequence of events as a group.
Opportunities to practice: Their reading in pairs will be a practice and they will be encouraged to mimic the Think-Aloud for each other; the map of the sequence will re-enforce the organization of the passage and the causes for these people to cross the land bridge. They will be asked to draw a picture demonstrating one cause for the movement of these people (for example, the hunt).
Technology Utilized: Computers: The children may use the computer to find further information on Beringea and the Bering Sea to emphasize the idea of the land bridge's disappearance and to explore the kinds of game that existed on the land bridge. They will pick from 5 recommended sites. Smartboard – group sequencing.
Assessment: Informally, I will listen to them as they work in pairs. They will be asked to write 5 questions about the reading (I wonder…). Their pictures will be used as an assessment. The chronological chart will be a group assessment.
Evaluation of Strategy(ies)
The vocabulary in this unit was quite demanding and struggling readers’ fluency suffered. I will tape the next Think-Aloud so that those having difficulty can listen to it more than once. Generally, the children used the Think-Aloud successfully in their pair work. They focused on questions that were answerable by looking in the text. I will need to model and have them practice inference and prediction a little more. The sequencing activity worked well since it was a group activity. All in all, we met our goals and objectives.
Tuesday, March 3, 2009
Assignment #5 TA
Since I've been reading/teaching for quite a few years, I find that I use pretty much all of the strategies - in my own reading - at one time or another. I use as many of the strategies as possible with my first graders as they are able to handle them. One technique I use quite a bit that my students really enjoy responding to is I will "pretend" that I don't know something or I "wonder" how or why the event could have happened in the story. The students love trying to explain something to their teacher.
One thing that was brought home to me as I read this is the significance of Think Alouds to our everyday life - not just reading. These basic strategies, when learned, will go far in helping our students to meet challenges and solve problems in all aspects of their lives, as evidenced by the kayaking story.
One thing that was brought home to me as I read this is the significance of Think Alouds to our everyday life - not just reading. These basic strategies, when learned, will go far in helping our students to meet challenges and solve problems in all aspects of their lives, as evidenced by the kayaking story.
assignment #5
TA- In kindergarten we obviously don't use all the items on the checklist, but we begin using some of the strategies. When reading to the class I stop periodically to ask questions. If the students can not answer the question, I may reread a section or page. I also read on to try to clear up any confusion or comprehension problems. If the students don't know a vocabulary word we try to think of a word that we can substitute and see if the substituted word makes sense. I also read some stories without pictures to have the students learn to make pictures in their minds, or draw pictures to go with the story. We reread a story many times during the week. I want the students to learn to read for pleasure as well as to gain information. I also want them to practice these strategies so that they are automatic. This way as they begin reading on their own, they will be practicing these strategies without thinking about it, and the teacher in the next grade will be able to build on what they already know.
youngest learner week 5
Once again I want to say how important story starters are. My students have a
hard time getting started at writing. So, therefore we use a lot of beautiful
pictures from calendars and also story starters, that I have purchased from
book stores. Also we use the newspapers and do a lot of writing. We cut and
paste different parts of the newspaper and make silly stories.
hard time getting started at writing. So, therefore we use a lot of beautiful
pictures from calendars and also story starters, that I have purchased from
book stores. Also we use the newspapers and do a lot of writing. We cut and
paste different parts of the newspaper and make silly stories.
assignment # 5 Wilma--Y
Y--In reading from the Youngest Learner, " Spaces Beyond the Book Nook and the Writing Center", I felt right at home. I have used learning centers for all of my career in teaching and have tried to make each center a print rich environent. This has always encouraged interest and inquiry into many aspects of learning. I agree with Dr. Montessori in her writing, "The Absorbent Mind". We determine, to a large extent, students/learning by how we surround them and stimulate their minds.
It is true that our reading strategies have become so automatic that it is difficult to identify them. However, after reading the list of strategies on page 100 in T-A, I am aware that I sometimes stop in my reading and say to myself, "This is not making sense." I will then reread or read on to try to clear up the confusion. I substitute words I know, and that fit the context, to replace words with which I am less familiar. I also bring my own knowledge, beliefs and ideas into the text and try to visualize what the text means. These are probably my most frequently used strategies.
It was helpful for me to review the checklist of strategies. I think this would be helpful for students as well. I teach kindergarten and I think that I can help my students become better readers in the future by doing think-alouds and incorporating some of these strategies in the think-aloud. However, if I were teaching older students, I think I would provide them a laminated copy of the, "Stop, Ask, Fix: Student Checklist" on page 100. I would also teach, and post in various places in the room, the "Flow Chart of Comprehension-Monitoring Behaviors" on pages 98-99. Individual copies of these pages, as well as pages 120 and 170 would be beneficial. I think we will have to deliberately teach these skills, rather than expecting students to just figure it out on their own. It will require much modeling and practice before these skills become automatic for students.
It is true that our reading strategies have become so automatic that it is difficult to identify them. However, after reading the list of strategies on page 100 in T-A, I am aware that I sometimes stop in my reading and say to myself, "This is not making sense." I will then reread or read on to try to clear up the confusion. I substitute words I know, and that fit the context, to replace words with which I am less familiar. I also bring my own knowledge, beliefs and ideas into the text and try to visualize what the text means. These are probably my most frequently used strategies.
It was helpful for me to review the checklist of strategies. I think this would be helpful for students as well. I teach kindergarten and I think that I can help my students become better readers in the future by doing think-alouds and incorporating some of these strategies in the think-aloud. However, if I were teaching older students, I think I would provide them a laminated copy of the, "Stop, Ask, Fix: Student Checklist" on page 100. I would also teach, and post in various places in the room, the "Flow Chart of Comprehension-Monitoring Behaviors" on pages 98-99. Individual copies of these pages, as well as pages 120 and 170 would be beneficial. I think we will have to deliberately teach these skills, rather than expecting students to just figure it out on their own. It will require much modeling and practice before these skills become automatic for students.
Monday, March 2, 2009
Youngest Learner Week 5
Youngest Learner
Week 5
Y We do not have learning centers or writing centers in the library. We have K-4th grade one hour per week, while they are in the library we teach them some library skills. We read a story each week as we read we stop and ask questions about the story. When we finish the story we will place the book in front of the room and have the students draw a picture about the story.
Another activity we do in the library is for the students to write a puppet show.
We select a book from our picture story book section and we divide the class into groups for each book. The students are to select the characters from each book, then using the book write it into a dialogue for each character.
They then make a puppet for each character. The puppet is of their choice; sock, stick, whatever they choose. They present their play to others in class or present it to another class.
Brenda/Sue
Shady Point School Library
Week 5
Y We do not have learning centers or writing centers in the library. We have K-4th grade one hour per week, while they are in the library we teach them some library skills. We read a story each week as we read we stop and ask questions about the story. When we finish the story we will place the book in front of the room and have the students draw a picture about the story.
Another activity we do in the library is for the students to write a puppet show.
We select a book from our picture story book section and we divide the class into groups for each book. The students are to select the characters from each book, then using the book write it into a dialogue for each character.
They then make a puppet for each character. The puppet is of their choice; sock, stick, whatever they choose. They present their play to others in class or present it to another class.
Brenda/Sue
Shady Point School Library
Youngest Learner Week 5
Youngest Learner
Week 5
Y We do not have learning centers or writing centers in the library. We have K-4th grade one hour per week, while they are in the library we teach them some library skills. We read a story each week as we read we stop and ask questions about the story. When we finish the story we will place the book in front of the room and have the students draw a picture about the story.
Another activity we do in the library is for the students to write a puppet show.
We select a book from our picture story book section and we divide the class into groups for each book. The students are to select the characters from each book, then using the book write it into a dialogue for each character.
They then make a puppet for each character. The puppet is of their choice; sock, stick, whatever they choose. They present their play to others in class or present it to another class.
Brenda/Sue
Shady Point School Library
Week 5
Y We do not have learning centers or writing centers in the library. We have K-4th grade one hour per week, while they are in the library we teach them some library skills. We read a story each week as we read we stop and ask questions about the story. When we finish the story we will place the book in front of the room and have the students draw a picture about the story.
Another activity we do in the library is for the students to write a puppet show.
We select a book from our picture story book section and we divide the class into groups for each book. The students are to select the characters from each book, then using the book write it into a dialogue for each character.
They then make a puppet for each character. The puppet is of their choice; sock, stick, whatever they choose. They present their play to others in class or present it to another class.
Brenda/Sue
Shady Point School Library
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